Another Now
by Honey Jenkins
Summary: Cleo didn't understand how things could be so wrong. She had always been Lewis' science partner until one absent day ruined everything. Now he was taking mysterious trips to Mako Island with the new girl Rikki, and Zane Bennett, his sworn enemy. What was he hiding that he couldn't share with his best friend? Was he secretly dating Rikki, or were darker forces at work in his life?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

Hello. I have returned. And I bring more merfolk adventures in my wake! This one is a bit of a lark, and the chapters will be more episodic than plot-based. That's not to say there won't be a solid conclusion; merely that I have no plan for said conclusion at present, so this is likely to have an _H2O: Season 1_ feel to it as the problems confronted will be relatively minor in comparison to say... capture and experimentation like _The Dark Side of the Moon_ entailed. Well, minor is a relative term, I guess. Cleo might not agree with that assessment...

Special mention and a heaping of thanks are in order for **h2o42, ****zikki 3**, and **winchestersgirl1967. **Each one of you pleaded with me to write for H2O again, and I honestly thought nothing more could possibly be done with the characters that hadn't already been attempted and proven a terrible idea. But one fateful morning, as my Best Friend Beta Mistress and I tended to a room full of babies that didn't belong to us, she began to brainstorm ideas. Amazingly, we came up with yet another scenario that seemed fun to explore. So here it is, ladies! The fruit of your continual encouragement and **Kitty Pimm**'s briliance.

And yes. The title is a nod to the song of teenage sorrow and angst sung by Kate Alexa whenever Cleo felt tragic on the show.

* * *

><p><strong>i.<strong>

Zane was bored. It wasn't as if Biology couldn't be interesting if he was looking for a challenge. The fact was he wasn't. Lewis on the other hand was enthralled with the assignment Mrs. Macintosh carried on about while Zane was only interested in the choice of partners; namely, those of the female variety.

He'd had his eye on the blonde in the back since she'd rolled her eyes at the teacher's introduction. She looked… spunky. Mrs. Macintosh was setting pairs; up until now they had an almost set structure of class division, breaking away from the consistency only when someone was out sick, or a new dating relationship was formed and the two lovebirds insisted on being partners.

Unfortunately for Mrs. Macintosh, two students were absent from class that day; the little brown one who shadowed Lewis, and Byron, who dropped out to surf full time. That would have evened the numbers, except the new girl's presence meant someone would be taking it solo, or one team was going to have an extra. Macintosh was shoddy at remembering to take absentees into account. She wouldn't remember Lewis's shadow would be back after the weekend.

Zane was inwardly outraged when he realised she was pairing Rikki with Lewis! What a waste! The scientifically-minded Lewis wouldn't even appreciate extended interactions with the pretty girl. He was so intent on scribbling notes at the moment that he barely acknowledged when the teacher put their names together. Zane sent a menacing glare his way. Not that he noticed… but if he had, Zane would have mouthed a number of death threats in his direction.

Mrs. Macintosh halted; a rare occurrence for her. She seemed only now to realise how a new addition unbalanced the scales. "Zane…" she hesitated, "You'll join Lewis and Rikki. I hardly think your _assistance_ will give any unfair advantage." Another time, Zane might have been affronted, but he was more concerned with the excuse he'd just been given to turn about in his seat and flash a grin Rikki's way.

She huffed through her nose, crossing her arms in annoyance. Ah, well. There was plenty of time for her to warm up to him.

At the end of the day, Zane was more than eager to join his team.

Not so with Lewis. "Just follow my lead and try not to screw anything up," he said, once they finally met up at the JuiceNet.

"Please," Zane scoffed. "I'm not in this for your nerdy science stuff or to sabotage your chance at getting chummy with a microscope. I just need to know when the cute chick is due to appear."

Lewis gave a longsuffering sigh. "I should have known. I don't think she's going to show. She's already twenty minutes late."

"I don't like to arrive on time," a female voice cut in as its owner slid into the nearest available seat. "Weeds out the ones who aren't willing to wait for me. I do things on _my_ time. Now someone please explain to me why the three of us are being seen together in a public place. It's damaging my reputation."

Zane was about to ask what sort of reputation she was talking about, but he was foiled again by Lewis's persistence. "We need to plan," he started.

"Plan?" Rikki countered. "What for? You write the paper, we get the credit. Teamwork at its finest."

Zane's face lit up. "Exactly what I was thinking."

"No way," he protested, "This is worth a huge portion of our grades and I'm not doing it alone. As superb as I am with raw data…" he was interrupted by ungracious coughing from Zane, "I'm going to need help on the research part.

"Now, between the two of you," he went on, quickly losing the little interest he held, "I may have been given the worst partners of all time…"

It was Rikki's turn to interject with a, "Rude!"

"…but I think I have an idea that could get us full marks."

Their attention was all but spent, but the next thing he said woke them up considerably. "Zane, I need to borrow your boat."

"What!? No, I don't think so. No one mans the zodiac but me."

"That's precisely why I need you man it for me. We're going to Mako Island to collect water samples."

"_Water_?" Rikki said dubiously. "Your brilliant plan is to write about water?"

"No, not just water. The types of minerals and properties in different pools around the island and how it affects the wildlife and plants there."

"Uh huh." She didn't sound convinced.

Zane was still confused about his own role. "So we get to the island, poke around a bit, you collect your samples, and we go home?"

"_Not_ exactly. I'll need more time than that. We should bring camping gear. To collect enough samples under the right conditions, I'll need more than a few hours. We should spend a night or two to really explore."

Zane's interest was immediately reaffirmed as he raised his eyebrows in thought. A weekend away on a mysterious island; long nights at camp with only Rikki for company as Lewis collected water to his heart's content. Sounded perfect to him. "When do we leave?" he brightened.

Rikki was not so impressed. "You expect me to camp out on an island with two blokes for the sake of a school paper?"

"You'd have your own tent," Lewis offered weakly.

"Yeah, except I haven't got a tent, and even if I had this is a stupid idea!"

Zane had to try anything to get her on board. She didn't seem the type to fall prey to emotional pleading or manipulative compliments. He'd have to go a different approach. "What's wrong, Chadwick?" he baited. "Scared of a little island? It's because of the sharks, isn't it?"

"I'm not scared of sharks," she fired back, "More like dying of boredom or possible insect attacks."

"It's alright," he nodded in sympathy, "We're all scared of something. No worries. Lewis and I can go. I'll fill you in later if we find anything worth using."

"I see what you're doing," she said. "You want to take all the credit and leave me out of the group. That's not gonna happen, Zane Bennett." She glared at him long and hard as he stared her down unflinchingly.

"Bring your extra tent and gear," she said at last. "We leave first thing tomorrow after school."


	2. Chapter 2

ii.

Cleo shuffled down to the kitchen for another box of tissues. She'd been through four boxes already, and it was only the second day of her cold. Kim was miserable too, which meant she was her own charming self; manipulative, irritating, and unreasonable times ten. Cleo tried to time her few but necessary trips outside her room so that she wouldn't come into contact with her younger sister. She was hard enough to deal with when in perfect health. Congestion and sore throats only served to worsen their strained relationship.

While she was downstairs she decided to take more pills and pour herself a juice. It hurt to swallow but it hurt worse when she felt parched. Besides, Lewis always swore on the miraculous healing properties of proper nutrition during a cold. Cleo wondered if he would stop by today with a care kit like last year when she had the stomach flu. She was hardly devastated to be missing school, but it was starting to get lonely with only Hector for company. She opened the pantry where there should have been a good stock of tissues, only to find the space empty.

That was when Kim made her appearance. Unfortunately, her timing wasn't so great today.

"Kim," she questioned with an unnatural rasp, "Where are all the tissues?"

"Where do you think?" she snapped, an octave lower than usual because of her plugged nose. "I've got a cold too, you know!"

"There were four boxes in here _just_ this morning!"

"You're so clever, Cleo. Maybe someday I'll be able to count as well as you." Kim took the glass of juice off the counter and headed back towards the stairs.

"Hey! That's mine!" Cleo tried to sound indignant, but it turned out more like desperation as her hacking cough took over.

"Finders keepers!" Kim shot back. "Just like the stuffed fish you left on the counter. If you want him back, you'll have to give me five dollars."

"Stuffed fish?" she asked hoarsely, trying to recover her voice with a new glass of juice. "What stuffed fish?"

"Dad never gave it to you?" she shrugged. "Lewis brought it over before he headed off to Mako Island with some girl. I thought you brought it back down and left it there because you're stupid like that."

"What do you mean he's going to Mako? With a… a _girl_?"

"Someone named Rikki. That's all he said. Oh, and that he hopes you feel better, but whatever. If you want the fish, pay up. I'll be in my room."

"Kim!" the glass was slammed on the shelf with little consideration for what happened to the remaining juice inside. "You give me my fish!"

"You're in no condition to bargain, Cleo." She crossed her arms and stood obstinately at the bottom step on the stairs.

Cleo stomped forward and once she reached Kim didn't stop but brushed past her, racing up to the bedroom to find her present from Lewis.

It didn't take long. Kim hadn't made any effort to hide her thievery. The larger, stuffed version of Hector sat on her bed amongst a pile of assorted magazines, Cleo's missing travel cup, and no less than seven unopened boxes of tissues.

"_DAAAAAD! Cleo's in my room!"_

"Girls!"

"I'm just getting my things she _stole_ again!" Cleo scooped up as much as she could carry and took off.

"That's not fair! You can't have four boxes and only leave me with three!" Kim tried to push her way into the room, but Cleo planted her feet and kept her shoulder pressed hard against the doorframe.

"You were going to take seven and leave me with nothing!"

"I only got sick today! I'm going to need more than you!"

"I'm older, and have more mucus!"

"That's not how it works…"

"Of course it is." Cleo scoffed. "Lewis says…"

"Lewis is an idiot! And so are you!"

Cleo knew she was being juvenile, but she couldn't help herself. She stuck her tongue out at Kim and gave her a shove, buying just enough time to close the door to her room and retreat with the items she'd collected, fighting back tears the whole way.

Once huddled on the bed with her prizes, she wiped away the tears, frustrated that Kim had made her congestion worse from crying.

Lewis _wasn't_ stupid. She knew she shouldn't care what Kim said, but everything was especially hurtful today.

The fish was perfect. He was the right hue of orange, and his bulgy eyes were just like the live copy's, but bigger, like the rest of him. Hector the Great, she decided his name was. The extra tissues were from Lewis, too. She knew because the boxes had the pink shells and starfish on them. Her mum only bought the plain old boring boxes without lotion. "They're too pricey, Cleo. And the regular ones suit your sister just fine," she'd say. At least _someone_ took her preferences into consideration above Kim's.

Cleo wished he would have stopped in. Not that she wanted to risk giving him their cold, but a wave from the doorway would have been nice. Now she was disappointed in herself for not emerging from her room more often.

Mako Island. What was he doing there? Cleo was familiar with the place; her family had taken a few camping trips to the island when money was tight and they couldn't holiday somewhere more upscale. But why did Lewis want to go there with a girl? A girl named Rikki. He didn't have a very fast boat. Was he planning to row them there? It seemed like a big hassle for one trip. Besides, Cleo knew the island was surrounded by sharks. And _mangroves_.

Was it possible Lewis and Rikki were dating? No way! Lewis didn't date! He was too busy with scientific theories and controlled experiments to pay attention to girls. The most he spoke to anyone of the opposite sex was with Cleo, and they'd been best friends since grade school. He would have told her if he had someone on his mind in that way. Unless something had happened since Cleo had been out sick; something between him and the girl, Rikki.

Cleo poked her finger at one of Hector the Great's bulbous eyes and sighed.

It was the worst day ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Comments:<strong>

Poooor, sad Cleo! Whatever could be wrong with Lewis?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:** Yes, I'm putting these before the chapter today because this is the first one of the story that made me mark this as M. No lemons! Just... ridiculous science. :P I've had complaints before about the realism (or lack thereof) of the girls transforming with these cute little bikini tops on. And nothing's more amusing to me than embarrassing Lewis in front of Zane. My love is strange like that. For yes, I do love Lewis. He is my H2O husband, so I'm allowed to do these things to him. Okay! As long as you're aware! Inappropriate hijinks are ahead! Carry on.

* * *

><p>iii.<p>

The three of them stared long and hard at the gently oscillating water particles. The waves lapped against the rocky edges of a pool, encompassed by a dome of natural rock formations that gradually narrowed into a cone-shaped top, leaving a circular opening for the moon to shine through.

There was something decidedly eerie about the pool. There were no deviant creatures lurking in its depths that could be seen from shore, no sounds in the cave besides the natural movement of the water, but there was a thickness in the air that felt wrong in a sense. And it wasn't just because Lewis was still a bit winded from falling several metres into the cave in the first place. At least, that's what he told himself.

Finally, Rikki spoke up. "Well? Who's going in?"

"You're not volunteering?" Zane asked.

"Sorry," she said in mock-sympathy. "Haven't got a bather with me."

"Even better," he smirked, earning himself an angry glare from Lewis.

"Guys, please! This is clearly the remains of a dormant volcano that is thousands, possibly even millions of years old! A little respect for the atmosphere?"

"Lewis, you got us stuck in a creepy cave with a pool. I hardly think respect is something either you or the volcano has earned here," Rikki replied.

"No need to worry!" he said, pointing a finger in the air like a professor. "I bet a peek below will reveal an easy escape out! Someone just needs to take a quick dip and reassure the rest of us."

"Why don't you go if you've got it all figured out," Zane insisted.

"Fine!" he agreed vocally. He was even grinning at the words, but his feet stayed planted away from the glowing pool. In fact, his arms were crossed and he seemed to be inching in the opposite direction from the edge.

"Well, no time like the present!" Rikki announced. And then with a shove: "In you go!'

It only took a matter of moments for Lewis to resurface, sputtering and indignant. The two remaining dry on the pool's edge had not ceased their laughter since he'd been pushed in.

"Real funny, guys," he said, rubbing his eyes. "But I wonder how you might like it." He grabbed each one by an ankle, and with surprising strength, pulled them in to join him.

Rikki was not pleased with his revenge, but Zane came up laughing.

"Are you ready to get serious and find us a way out?" Lewis frowned. "_Help_, I mean… _help_ us find a way out."

Zane shrugged, "Since the brains of the operations is in over his head, I guess it's time for some heroics." He sent a cocky smirk Rikki's way, and she tried to blow it off but couldn't help the beginnings of a smile.

She would have proceeded to climb ashore and start drying off, but when it looked like the only way out of the cave was through the pool like Lewis suggested, she figured there was no point.

Zane came back up some time later in order to direct them to the underwater passage. Rikki ignored Lewis's smug, "Told you!" about their escape, and prepared to follow Zane beneath the water where there was no possibility of speaking or being spoken to.

Before she'd gone under, a bubbling in the water distracted her and she twisted around to call Lewis out on being such a sicko. His face mirrored Zane's in that they were both staring fearfully at the rapidly increasing bubbles around them. Soon, the whole pool was foaming, and they realised the moon was hanging directly over the opening above, filling the entire cave with ethereal light.

"What the…?"

The sound of the suddenly roaring pool drowned out Zane's outburst. Rikki found herself grabbing his arm, just to have _something_ to hang onto in case it became a full blown typhoon.

Eventually, the phenomenon ceased, and not even Lewis had a theory about why or how it happened. He mumbled something half-hearted about geysers, but it lacked any of his usual conviction. Shaken, but not discouraged, Zane led them out as he'd planned.

It was a cold, uncomfortable trek back to the campsite in the dark, and everyone was soaked through. No one wanted to talk about the strange happening in the moon pool. The two guys weren't up to talking about their _feelings_, and Rikki was more than okay with that.

Bedraggled and exhausted, the three of them made way to their tents to strip off their wet things and call it a night.

-x-

"I think it rained last night," Lewis remarked, wiping the excess dew off a canteen they'd left out by the campfire.

"Wow. You are a real genius," Zane said bitingly as he picked off a leaf that clung to his bare foot. "Here, toss me that. I'm parched."

The canteen was still spinning in the air when it happened, almost in slow-motion. Zane thought either his eyes were playing tricks on him or he was still asleep. It wasn't until he felt his legs turn to liquid, and reform themselves as a tail of his own that he began to believe it might be real. And even then…

"What is going on?" Lewis asked.

"I don't know, but we'd better find out how to fix it before Rikki wakes up."

"What's wrong?" Lewis scoffed, "Don't want your girlfriend to see you with a fish tail?"

He expected a fierce rebuttal about the use of the term _girlfriend_, but Zane said with a surprisingly sincere voice, "Something like that."

At the sound of Rikki's struggle with the tent zipper, they both scrambled to find something to hide their afflictions with, but there was nothing more than a hand towel in the dirt. Zane tossed it over his tail, making Lewis snort. "That's great. It's totally hidden now. I can't even tell you've got a tail."

"Shut up!" he hissed.

"Are you two _insane_?!" Rikki cried as she stumbled out into the campsite to see her two partners had morphed into some kind of fish hybrid. "Or am I?"

"I have no more idea than you," Zane said defensively. "Lewis under threw the water at me, and now I'm like this."

She continued to stare at them in horror for several more seconds before finally tearing her eyes away. "I'm gonna... go wash up, and maybe by then I'll be awake enough to deal with this."

"The water…" Lewis mumbled. "Rikki? Have you come into contact with any water this morning?"

She made a non-committal snort. "Why? Is it plagued?"

"No... " He waited until she was splashing it on her hands and face before he added, "Not in the _strictest_ sense."

He counted from the time she touched the water until the transformation happened. Ten seconds. At the end of those ten seconds, Rikki had a tail almost identical to his and Zane's, except it was orange. Also like the guys she had no covering on the top portion of her body. She was, essentially, naked. And it was difficult for them not to enjoy their vantage point for a bit.

"Is this some kind of joke?!" she exploded. "Lewis… I don't know exactly how but this is your fault!"

"Why is it _my_ fault?"

"You're the one who dragged us to this stupid island for water samples!"

"Lewis!" Zane stared in horror at the barb extending from Lewis's tail. "Control yourself!"

"I _can't_!" he wailed. "I don't even know how…"

The rest of his answer was cut off as Zane tossed the towel over his head. "Stop being such a pervert. Explain how to fix this!"

Lewis's response was muffled and dejected, but still decisive. "I haven't the slightest idea."


	4. Chapter 4

iv.

The incessant ring of Cleo's alarm finally pulled her out of a deep sleep. She stretched and moaned, trying to ignore it for a few more seconds. As she sat up in annoyance she suddenly realised that she was breathing normally and her throat was perfectly fine—if not a little dry from sleeping with her mouth open as evidenced by the drool on her pillow.

"I'm all better!" she announced to her fish; both the real Hector and the stuffed one. "I can go to school today!" Both responded in kind with silence, but Cleo was used to that. She cheerfully got up to ready herself for the school day.

Kim was still overcoming her virus, so there was no one to bang on Cleo's door prematurely about making it downstairs for a ride or to steal her juice and toast. It was a nice change, being able to moisturise and change her hair accessories all six times it took to get it just right.

Cleo wasn't the greatest academic, but even she was a little worried about missing three days of school over a cold. She knew Emma would have thrown a fit until her parents let her go, sick or not, unless she was deathly ill or in a coma, but other than a little anxiety over whether she'd remember the last few lessons, Cleo was excited by the thought of returning.

It never occurred to her that she might not be assigned to the same group as Lewis for the big science project.

"Lewis!" she waved at him as they approached the lockers.

He glanced over his shoulder before returning the wave, but he didn't seem exactly enthused.

"It's alright Lewis; I'm not contagious anymore! I'm all better, now!" she reassured him.

"Wish I could say the same," he mumbled.

Cleo frowned. "What's wrong? Are you sick now, too?"

"Not exactly. It's good to see you're okay!" he brightened.

She nodded vigorously. "I'll bet Mrs. Macintosh forgot to assign me a group again, but that's alright. She'll let me join yours if you ask her!"

"Uh… about that, Cleo. I don't know if that's such a good idea."

She blinked, taken aback for a moment. Lewis had never hesitated to make her his partner before. Maybe he was sick after all. "Why not?"

"It's just that… I picked a really hard project, and I wouldn't want to bother you with it when you just got over being sick."

"Oh. That's okay! I can do it! I mean… if you help me, I can."

"That's the thing. I don't know if…"

"Lewis!" Cleo started at the voice of another girl calling him. A voice that didn't belong to Emma.

A girl dressed in a red tank with zippers making funny slashes up and down her pant legs was motioning Lewis over to her. Her blonde hair was in two French braids, and she had a wary, almost cheeky expression. Cleo decided she must be the new girl. She was dressed very... confidently.

That's when she noticed the oddness of Lewis's outfit. He was never one to wear trousers unless the weather turned unusually cold or his mother was making him dress up for relatives coming over. There was not a cloud in the sky today but he was in the longest pair of trousers he owned and his colourful shirt was buttoned almost to the top. The major difference was the presence of that girl: Rikki.

"Lewis!" she was still beckoning, growing more insistent with his stalling. He gave Cleo an apologetic shrug and hurried away to Rikki.

Cleo was in shock. Her lip trembled mid-pout. They had to be dating! He'd even taken her to Mako Island and spent the night there! She didn't suppose they'd…

Cleo let out a gasp, attracting the attention of several passing students. She cleared her throat, determined to get to the bottom of Lewis's strange behaviour. She would start with the girl named Rikki.

She ambushed her outside Biology, which for Cleo meant less of an attack and more of a friendly "Hi!"

Rikki looked both ways as if the greeting must have been meant for someone else. "Me?"

"Yes, you. It's Rikki, right?"

"Do I know you?"

"Oh. Well, I just... asked around about you while waiting for class to start. I meant to say hello and everything, but there wasn't time."

"Right. A little creepy, but okay. So to what do I owe the pleasure of this unwanted conversation?"

Cleo couldn't tell if she was trying to be funny or just rude. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, I was just... wondering how you and Lewis met, is all!"

"Lewis? Why...?" Rikki saw it then; in the big, sad eyes directed towards her, the shuffling feet, and the way she hung on her every word after his name was spoken. This girl was head over heels for the nerdy science guy, and he probably had no idea. She could have settled things then and there and put the poor girl out of her misery, but the part of her that wanted to see how far she could take a prank overruled the compassion she had for the forlorn stalker.

"It all happened so fast, I couldn't really say," she shrugged. "One minute I was the weird new girl at school, and the next I'm being asked to the JuiceNet, and going on overnight camping trips..." she let out a long sight for effect. "He's quite the charmer, that Lewis."

"Really?" Cleo's face sank. "I mean... of course he's really cool, and nice, and... thoughtful. I never heard him called that before."

"Well. Sometimes it just takes the right one..." she paused, ready to call her by name, "And you are?"

"Cleo. Cleo Sertori. Lewis didn't mention me?"

The fact was, he had. Couldn't shut up about her, come to think of it. But that's not what Rikki said. She was finding it far more enjoyable to bait Cleo. "Nope. Can't say that he did. Well, this was fun! Catch you around, Claire!"

"Cleo..." she tried correcting her, but the pretty blonde was already out of earshot by the time she gained the courage to speak up. She said it anyway as she fought back tears. "My name is Cleo."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Awww, poor distressed Cleo! Hehehe. I can't pretend this doesn't amuse me about as much as it does Rikki. How the misunderstandings begin...


	5. Chapter 5

v.

Rikki could hardly contain her excitement. It was rare for her to have something even worth breaking into a grin for, but finding out she had the ability to heat water to ridiculous degrees with the flex of a hand merited a triumphant chuckle, at least.

She'd been practicing all morning; on the liquid from her canned peaches, the clothes on the line, and finally on the puddles from the sprinklers. She could get it so hot that the water would evaporate. She could make stewed fruit without using the only pot they had in the trailer. She could burn anything that had been touched by water.

She _had_ to tell the guys! This was going to blow their minds!

She'd catch them at school, right before classes, and corral them for a demonstration.

Zane was easy enough to locate. He ambled his way to the building at a snail's pace; probably hoping they'd start without him and forget he was a student there if he dilly-dallied long enough. It was even easier to get him to follow her than it was finding him. Of course, the way she said "Follow me" in a slightly suggestive tone may have been a manipulative tactic, but Zane was only mildly disappointed when she said they needed to find Lewis next.

"Why? We don't need him to get our own party started," he said with an eyebrow raised.

"This isn't about partying. Something weird is happening to me, and I need him to explain why with his science stuff."

"Please," he scoffed, "Lewis isn't as brilliant as he acts. Why don't you just tell me over dinner? I can be an excellent problem solver."

"Are you a scientist?" she combated.

"No, but if you go out with me I'll hire one to tell you whatever you want to know."

"Flattering, thanks," she smirked. "But I'd rather not be captured as a circus freak and put on display."

"Oh, I don't know. A lot of people would pay to see what Lewis and I have," he said cheekily. It took her a second to realise what he was talking about.

"Is that why you're asking me out? You feel a sense of responsibility for seeing me topless? How adorably old fashioned of you."

"Not exactly. But I wish the thought had crossed my mind, now that you mention it."

"Whatever," she said with a shake of her head. "Just help me find Lewis. Save your money to buy me a bather."

Zane shrugged, still smiling from their banter.

Lewis was much harder to drag away for a conference as he was intent on being awkward with a girl. They chattered on for what seemed like forever until finally Rikki broke it up to have Lewis join them. He reluctantly shuffled over, glancing back at the girl he'd been talking to.

"I didn't know you could talk to girls," Rikki said. "That's impressive."

Zane let out an insolent guffaw. "When he talks to a _real_ girl, then I'll be impressed. That's just Cleo."

"You don't have to be such a jerk!" Lewis snapped, surprising Rikki with his ferocity. "Cleo is a perfectly nice girl, and I won't hear any stupid jokes made about her."

"Touchy, touchy," Zane complained, but he said nothing more about her.

"Okay, guys," Rikki broke in, wanting more than anything to steer the conversation in a less heated direction. "Can we bring this back to me, please? Something incredible but slightly bizarre happened, and you both need to know."

"Incredible... how?" Lewis questioned warily. "Is this one of those female problems?"

"No, genius," Zane said, "This is to do with our collective problem."

Lewis's expression spoke volumes of his confusion.

Rikki's face fell. "Seriously? You don't know what I'm talking about? The _water_ problem?" she shaped her hands like two fins and spread them out downward to make the shape of a tail.

Lewis blinked. He processed it for a second or two. And then, "OH! Right. Yes. The... _that_ problem. What's up?"

"Well, I found out this morning that I have powers," she said in an undertone.

Zane burst out laughing. "You're on something, Chadwick."

She sent him a deadly glare. "You grow a tail ten seconds after touching the water, and you're going to discredit the thought that I have special powers?"

"What kind of powers are we talking about, here?" Lewis interjected.

"Well..." Rikki answered Lewis, but hadn't broken eye contact with Zane. "Meet me somewhere safe after school and find out."

"I know just the spot!" Lewis announced. "It's my super secret fishing spot!"

_-x-_

The rush was incredible! Rikki was boiling a whole portion of the ocean before Lewis made her stop in concern for the sea creatures. It was amazing, feeling the changes in the water with her sixth sense. She wondered if she could someday do it solely with her mind, and not even need to reach towards the water in order to heat it.

Zane was petulant because he hadn't discovered any powers, yet. Lewis was more curious, but still a bit wounded. "I wonder if powers don't develop in the male specimen. Or maybe they develop slower, but therefore are more intense. It might help to be touching the water..."

Before he could finish, Zane was already knee-deep in the waves. Lewis plunged after him, meaning to warn him that it might still be hot from Rikki's experimentation. Without thinking of the consequences, Rikki dashed after them both, and soon all three were topless, and in merfolk form together.

"Well, this is great," Rikki said sarcastically. "I'm naked again."

"I think I found _my_ superpower after all," Zane said with a brash wink.

Lewis shushed them both. "Guys, it's not the time for that! I hear someone coming!"

"Get behind those rocks!" Zane hissed, pointing. "Those and the waves should hide our tails pretty well."

Rikki managed to wedge herself up on the rocks, between both of them. She snorted to think of the position she was in; trapped in the ocean between two guys, and totally naked.

The intruder was the sad brown-haired girl that was in love with Lewis. Poor Cleo could not have chosen a worse time.

She was trudging sadly towards the waterline, hugging herself as if it was cold.

Rikki tried to hold it in for as long as possible, but finally she couldn't help but sneeze.

Cleo's head snapped up to witness Lewis's hand going to Rikki's face in order to cover the sneeze. But it was too late. From her vantage point she saw three heads, three bare shoulders, and the left side of Rikki's breast. Zane sent her a friendly wave which only confused her further.

Her eyes went wide. "What are you guys doing?"

"Uh..." Lewis fumbled. "Just... enjoying the water."

"You're swimming? In your special fishing spot?"

"Weeeell... more like... wading and sunning. But, sure!"

"Are you... are you all naked?" she quivered.

"Sort of!" Zane grinned. "Rikki's the most naked, but..." she jabbed him with her elbow to shut him up.

Cleo looked as if it was _her_ Rikki assaulted in the gut. Lewis was frantic to repair the damage done, but the words that tumbled out of his mouth were not in the least bit helpful.

"Why don't you join us, Cleo?"

"_No_!" Rikki hissed, "Are you _insane_?"

"No... no thanks," Cleo stuttered. "I think I should head home now."

Lewis shrugged, frowning. "The offer was there."

Rikki imitated his voice in mockery once Cleo was safely out of earshot, "'_Why_ _don't you join us, Cleo?_' How stupid can you be? Do you want her to find out about us?"

"I wouldn't mind. Cleo isn't a blab."

"If you tell anyone about this, I will personally remove your head from your shoulders, Lewis," Zane warned.

Lewis shuddered. "Alright! Fine! I won't tell Cleo. Happy?"

Zane sent a sideways glance Rikki's way. "Perfectly."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Soooo... I know I never set a real posting schedule when I began this (good thing, since I'm all over the place with my story updates) but I still feel like this is late, even by my standards. I was having the hardest time wrapping up a future chapter and I don't like to post unless I have a good store of back up chapters ready to go in case of emergencies.

But hey, the good news is that the Beta and I finally have a grip on where things are going! And it's all downhill. I mean, it's fun for us! But the characters aren't going to be thrilled. Personally, I can't stop giggling. :P


	6. Chapter 6

vi.

"Look, I'm not a sap or anything, but you need to do something about Cleo."

Rikki steamed herself dry behind the room divider and tossed yet another waterproof bikini over the side of the panel. "That one doesn't transform with me, either."

Lewis put a large, red X by the description of the top she'd rejected and peered over his notebook towards the direction of Rikki's voice. "What are you talking about? I haven't said a word to her about our secret! I promise she is _not_ a threat! What do you want me to do? Trap her on Mako Island in case she gets suspicious?"

"No, you twit! I mean you need to talk to her!"

Lewis squinted in confusion. "You told me not to!"

"Not about the secret." Rikki huffed through her nose. "Don't you understand anything?" She poked her head out, dry and clothed again, and Lewis chucked her the next experimental suit in the pile; this one a strangely designed wetsuit.

"Really?" she quirked an eyebrow. "I'm going for coverage here, not winner of a pageant."

"Hey, you said you'd try anything! I'm just eliminating every option we have."

She dubiously reassumed her spot behind the divider, squirting more water on her arm from the squirt bottle provided.

"Okay," she said, "I admit that it was fun at first; leading her on in thinking you and I were a couple. But besides that turning my stomach..."

"Gee, thanks," he said absentmindedly, completely focused on his chart of women's swimwear.

"Let me finish!" she scolded. "I think she really is hurt by it. And I'm not a sadist. Despite what you... and everyone else might think of me."

"What am I supposed to do about it?" he sighed. "I can't exactly tell her... Wait." His pen stopped mid-air as Rikki's words began to fully sink in. "You made her think we were a couple!?"

Rikki shrugged sheepishly, though he couldn't see it. "I may have not... entirely... _discouraged_ her misunderstanding things between us."

"Rikki!" Lewis was appalled. "Ugh... I... Do you really think she's upset about it? I mean... it bothers her that I'd be dating you?"

Rikki emerged to throw the wetsuit directly into Lewis's face. "Isn't that what I just said? She looks like I'm the Wicked Witch every time we bump into each other. You need to... I dunno. Reassure her somehow. It's exhausting watching her scamper off to cry all the time."

"She does that?"

"You are so clueless, it's amazing you're able to pick out your clothes every morning."

"Well, by process of elimination..."

"Lewis?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't care. Are you going to talk to Cleo?"

"Right! Cleo! Yes, I am!"

"Then go."

"Right now?"

"Unless you want to do another round of, 'Shopping for bra tops with Rikki!'" she said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Lewis couldn't keep back a shudder. "Okay, just... get this stuff out of here before my brothers get home."

"Not a problem. I don't exactly relish the thought of your family thinking we're... Ew. I just threw up a little."

For once, Lewis ignored the insulting implications and hurried away.

Cleo looked surprised when she answered the door. Her hair was down, and tied back with a head scarf. That was usually a bad sign for her. It meant she was either too ill or despondent to bother doing anything else with it. Lewis liked it better when she wore it down, but he'd never had the guts to tell her so. It felt like something her... her boyfriend should tell her someday. He wasn't that to her and didn't have the right to voice a preference. The thought made him sad, somehow.

"Lewis!" she peered over each of his shoulders, looking for someone it seemed. "I... thought you'd be with Rikki."

"Rikki? Naw. No. That's not... a thing. Look, we need to talk," he stuttered.

"Uh... sure. We can go to my room. Kim's watching TV down here."

Lewis meekly followed her upstairs, sitting a respectful distance at the foot of her bed while she sat beside him—but not too close, he noted.

"I don't know where to start..." he began, losing his resolve with every second he waited. "I know I've been kind of... weird, lately. But it isn't that I don't want to hang out with you!"

"It's not?" she prodded glumly.

"No, I just... there's a lot on my mind lately." He scratched his head, wondering how in the world he was supposed to reassure her without spilling any secrets.

"Well... I get that," she nodded thoughtfully. "But we used to have a lot on our minds _together_. And I miss that," she sighed.

"You do?" He saw her instinctively reach for the nearest stuffed animal for comfort, and smiled to himself when it was the fish he'd left her as a get well present.

"Sure. But I get it. You have a girlfriend, now. You can't be spending all your time with me. It would be weird if you did. It wouldn't be right to be my _best_ friend and someone else's... _boyfriend_."

He wasn't sure if he'd imagined it, or if her voice had begun to crack with emotion. "Cleo, Rikki isn't my girlfriend."

Cleo's eyes shot up to meet his. "But you and her... I saw you...!"

"It's not what it looked like! We weren't... Zane was messing around," he blurted out, rushing to find a way to make things alright without lying to her.

"Rikki wasn't naked?" she asked warily.

"I mean... Zane has a way of exaggerating. She and I are _not_ in a relationship like that, and certainly not one where... what I'm trying to say is that she is not my girlfriend. No way. I mean, she's a great person. Kind of scary, and... predatory. But not the one for me. No." He paused in his rambling long enough to ask, "Do you believe me?"

She nodded, but still frowning. "So... do you want to go fishing this Saturday?"

"Oh." His face fell. "I don't fish much anymore."

"How come?"

"The science project. Really busy with that."

"Oh." Cleo sighed again, and it sounded as if her world was crumbling around her. Lewis was desperate to make her smile again.

"But we can do something else! How about... a picnic! On the beach! I'll bring the blanket, and you bring... whatever you think."

"Okay!" she brightened, slouching a little less. "Great! So Saturday it is!"

"Yeah, awesome! Meet you here at eleven?"

Cleo nodded, considerably happier, though not quite herself yet.

"Lewis," she said, suddenly growing shy as he stood to leave. "I'm really glad."

He questioned her with his befuddled expression.

"That Rikki's not your girlfriend," she blushed.

"Me too," he exhaled with relief. "You have no idea."


	7. Chapter 7

vii.

Cleo was more confused than ever.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Lewis's word that he wasn't dating Rikki. Not exactly. He wasn't the type to be sneaky, and if he claimed there was nothing between them, it had to be true. Unless he was afraid of people knowing. Zane seemed _awfully_ interested in Rikki, and he and Lewis had never got along even without a pretty girl to make things complicated.

Maybe Lewis was with Rikki, but was afraid Zane might do something to hurt him if he found out.

Cleo shook her head. That was silly. What was Zane going to do? Bribe some goons to have Lewis roughed up? She doubted Zane had the stomach for brutalising people, regardless of his big mouth, and this wasn't a mafia town. Zane was just a rich kid with an attitude.

Whatever the case might be, Lewis was hiding something. She could tell by his nervous stutters and his trailing sentences when he'd come for a visit. They'd been best friends since they were barely six, and she was as familiar with his expressions and gestures as she was with her own family. Probably more.

Still, she was looking forward to their picnic. She had jam sandwiches, and carrot and cheese, and even some with sardines. Not because she liked them at all, but it was always on the menu for the sandwich platters Emma made her create for parties and it seemed wrong not to include them now.

If only Kim would leave her alone to pack the sandwiches in peace, she'd be a lot happier. Somehow the little beast had managed to deduce exactly what was going on. Cleo barely said a word on the subject, but Kim's round about nettling could not be deflected by eye rolls and noncommittal grunts.

"Why are you packing sandwiches away? You're using up all the carrots. Mum's going to be mad at you. Emma doesn't like jam sandwiches. You're not going out with the girls, are you? I know Miriam never invites you by yourself, and Emma's got swim practice today."

"How do you know she has practice?"

"Eliot. Anyway, if you're not going with Emma, and you don't have any other friends, you must be dragging Lewis on a picnic. And since those are your favourite plates and you did your hair nice, that makes it a date."

"No, it doesn't," Cleo said, feeling strangely defensive. "We're just spending some time together."

"_Alone_. On a picnic. You're dating him. He just doesn't know it yet," she added with a smug folding of the arms. "I read it in a magazine. You're definitely dating."

Cleo fumbled with the napkins and kept her focus on them instead of Kim's triumphant smirk. "Stop being stupid."

"I can't stop what I never started," she shot back.

"Could you just... leave me alone for two seconds?" Cleo thought she was being patient, but her tone was less than kind, despite her intentions.

Kim stared her down. "One. Two. Your time is up."

"Ugh! You are _so_ _annoy_ing!"

"Girls," their Dad interrupted, "What's going on out here?"

"Cleo's getting ready for her date," Kim chirped, knowing that it was sure to get a rise out of him.

"A date? With who?"

"It's not a date, Kim," she said with menace in her voice. "It's just a simple lunch with Lewis."

"Lewis," he narrowed his eyes. "I don't know about that boy. Something's not quite right about him sometimes."

"Daaad. You're being unfair. Lewis is perfectly respectable."

"Don't let him try anything funny," he cautioned. "He's still a hormonal teenager, and I won't have my daughter..."

"Like I said, it's not even a date," she stopped him, sighing a little as she packed two plastic cups for the drinks. She would have liked to take glasses—the nice tall ones that had vines etched in the sides—but she was afraid with Kim and her dad hovering they'd make fun of it being a further sign that this was not just a picnic lunch between friends.

As her dad unintentionally distracted Kim by turning on a gruesome nature show about predatory sea creatures, Cleo's mind wandered back to the intentions of her picnic. It _was_ kind of like a date, she supposed. It was easy to see how they'd get that impression, though she would never admit it to them.

Maybe... maybe while they were eating lunch, she'd call it a date in passing. Then if Lewis disagreed, he could say so. Or... or maybe she would ask him flat out so he wouldn't feel like she'd trapped him into a corner. Or maybe it was better just to pass it off as a joke, that way they could laugh it off with no awkward backlash.

Or it might be best just to forget about it completely.

Yeah. That was best. No need to make things weird and scare him away. Not if she intended on having a lot more non-dates with him in future.

Lewis arrived right on time with a rolled up blanket tucked under his arm, sporting another pair of trousers, this time with a solid blue polo shirt. Cleo still felt strange to see him on a weekend without tackle box and fishing pole in hand, but she wouldn't let it dampen her excitement to be spending time with him.

She did point out his choice in accessories. "You're wearing sunglasses. Inside."

"Oh. Yes, well, my eyes are a bit sensitive today."

"We can find a spot in the shade," she suggested. "Are you ready, then?"

He nodded, but then backed away when she handed him the picnic basket. "Is there... uh... anything liquidy in there?"

"Just the drinks. Don't worry! I've got lids on everything! I'll be right back. Gotta get my bag."

He took the basket with one hand, trying to touch it as little as possible. Cleo shook her head at his odd behaviour, but was back in a moment, beach bag slung over her shoulder.

"Have fun on your date!" Kim called from her place on the sofa, never taking her eyes off the telly.

Cleo turned deep red, and grabbed Lewis's wrist. "Uh... we'd better go before the best picnicking spot is taken. Bye, Dad." And with a surprisingly firm grip, she pulled Lewis out the door, shutting it behind them with a loud thud.


	8. Chapter 8

viii.

Lewis was not excited about finding his power.

He might have been were it not for the ridiculous timing. But the water fates seemed to have conspired against him, and decided to manifest his strange new abilities on the day of his picnic with Cleo.

He had meant for it to be a date; a sort of easing into the possibility of them being more than friends, but when he woke up to find a giant water growth dangling inches from his face, originating from the glass of water on his bedside table and trapping him sufficiently until for no conceivable reason it shrank back into the glass, he let all romantic notions slip from his mind as he concentrated on just one thing; getting his powers under control.

He was used to awkward showers by now. Through a step-by-step process in a sitting position, he could manage to clean portions of himself at a time before drying off from his stack of towels and moving on to the next ten second interval. His brothers would have mocked his thoroughness, but it was more in the interest of experimentation than cleanliness that he insisted on washing himself in human form. He was becoming quite proficient in remembering his notes until he could make it to his writing implements.

Dipping his head, he meant to start with his hair but the water from the showerhead took an unnatural trajectory, shooting straight up at the ceiling about four inches from the spout. It took him a few seconds to figure out what had happened. Somehow he was moving the water around him without intending to. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it go where he wanted when he was trying. Even his determination for the scientific cause flagged after five to ten more minutes of unsuccessful attempts to direct the water back into a straight stream.

It wasn't just that he redirected the water, either. The water seemed to _expand_ around him. Lewis chuckled darkly. He had wanted to experiment with Mako Island water samples, and he certainly had enough strange phenomenons from one dip in the moon pool to deal with for a lifetime.

Thankfully, it was only Larry to be careful of in the kitchen as his older brother shuffled around in his boxers to find breakfast. Larry wasn't the sharpest first thing in the morning, and the rest of his brothers who hadn't moved out yet were either getting a head start on their weekend or fast asleep in their shared rooms.

Larry didn't notice when the pillar of water grew from the sink faucet and made its way into Lewis's glass. Lewis refused to drink it out of spite. He dumped it back out and hurried to the closet to grab a few blankets for the picnic.

He came very close to calling it off. He actually fingered the speed dial that would connect him to Cleo in order to fake sickness. He was terrified of letting his problem show while out with her, but he knew how hard she would take it and it wasn't worth the risk. He knew if he blew it this time, she was likely to withdraw like a pestered turtle and getting another chance with her would not be easy. He still remembered the three months of silence between her and Emma when Emma forgot her birthday sleepover in favour of a swim meet.

It was better to go on the picnic. But in doing so he would take every precaution not to let his freakishness show. He thought maybe covering his eyes would help. If he couldn't _see_ the water, maybe it wouldn't mutate around him.

It sort of worked! Until he dropped the bottle of suntan lotion and the spillage came out as perfectly round bubbles rather than a puddle on the carpet.

Still, he kept the shades on. It felt safer, even if it didn't _really_ help.

She was so pretty, he thought, when she opened the door to admit him. He had always thought her pretty; even when he was six and the only girls he thought of beyond cootie-ridden pests were his mum and some of the fairy tale princesses. He didn't think he'd ever told her. He should tell her. Later, so it wouldn't be weird in front of her family.

He was scared of taking the basket from her. He was almost certain the liquid contents of any containers, sealed or no, were bound to come exploding out the moment he let his guard down. He gingerly took it, holding his breath against the disasters he foresaw.

He was so concerned with the impending doom within the basket that he almost failed to hear Kim's teasing outburst.

"Have fun on your date!"

The words hadn't sunk in until Cleo had hurried him out and they were already heading toward the well worn path to the beach.

She was nervously twirling the end of her braid and chewing on the side of her lip. He kept casting sideways glances at her, telling himself he was going to make a joke about Kim calling it a date and gauge her reaction. In just a few more seconds... After they were far enough from the house...

Cleo squared her shoulders and bounced on her feet a little. "Don't worry about Kim. She says stuff just to get under my skin. I didn't tell anyone we were going on a date." She blushed furiously and tried to backtrack. "Not that this is a date! I mean, I didn't call it... we're just hanging out! We do all the time. Just two friends. Hanging out with lunch. Right?"

Beneath the shades, Lewis's eyes squinted into a frown. "Yeah, no worries. Larry called it a date, too. I get it."

"He did?" she questioned a little too eagerly. And she was smiling, but he tried not to read into it too much. "I mean... there are friendship dates, too. It doesn't have to mean... you know."

"Yeah," he said without any conviction, and before he had mustered up the guts to speak his mind, they'd arrived at the shaded area that was far enough from the shore to prevent any accidents with water. Unless, of course, they came from the picnic supplies. Lewis pushed the thought away, trying not to spoil the afternoon before it had begun.

For a while, things were almost normal. Lewis broke the awkwardness with a meaningless comment that somehow managed to make Cleo laugh, and they were back to being best friends with no crippling secrets or uncertain labels between them. Hours passed in natural conversation and the consumption of all sandwiches except the sardines, until Lewis slipped.

Cleo was fiddling with the cap of her water bottle as she watched a family in the distance fly a kite. Her head was turned so that he just caught her profile, and saw her cheeks puff out just a little as she filled them with air absentmindedly.

"You're so pretty," he blurted without thinking.

Cleo's head snapped to attention, and she blinked at him, doubting what she just heard. Lewis knew it was a chance that could possibly never come to him again, and he swallowed thickly before stating, "I've always thought you were pretty."

Cleo turned red for the third time that day and kept her eyes on the blanket as she asked, "Pretty like, you wouldn't mind me as a sister pretty, or...?"

"No," he said with surprising confidence. "Pretty like I hope this is a date pretty. A real date. Between... more than just friends."

"Lewis!" she leaned towards him, placing her hand on top of his as her face exploded into a smile.

It was a simple touch that he was very familiar with. There had been plenty of occasions for him to take Cleo's hand, whether to help her over treacherous beachside rocks or to paint her nails when she didn't want to do it herself. But this time, the contact sent a thrill through him. A thrill that turned immediately to dread as the top of Cleo's bottle went flying off in a spray of water that doused Lewis in its wake.

He jumped to his feet, frantically searching the shore for a place to hide. Cleo looked up in confusion and concern. "What just happened?"

A false explanation of water pressure and the angle at which she'd been holding her bottle was on the tip of his tongue, but as he felt his legs grow wobbly, he thought it more important to dive into the nearby brush rather than make something up using his store of scientific jargon.

As he sat in the bushes, hoping desperately that he was positioned in way that would hide the huge problem of his shimmering tail, Cleo crept closer. "Lewis. Are you okay?"

He opened his mouth to answer her, but promptly shut it again, discovering with a sudden twisting in his chest that he was about to cry.

This had to be the worst first date in history.

But at least, he thought with a sad smile, it was a _date_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Awwww, poor Lewis! If only he wasn't a hideous creature from the ocean depths, this wouldn't be a problem and he and Cleo could have a nice, normal relationship. Or cooould they? :P How I love turning the tables on them! I think I still feel more sorry for Cleo and her total confusion. I'm not sure what I would think if a guy dove into some bushes every time I tried to get close. But now my first theory would be merman!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **I do believe some apologies are in order. Not about the sporadic updates; if it was about that, I'd never post a new chapter without a profuse apology. No, this is about my forgetfulness in another area. See, this is the... third? I think, H2O fan fiction I've written, and although I have a few readers who followed me from previous stories, not all of you are familiar with my style and agenda. I'm terribly sorry for adding this note so late in the game, but it'll give you a chance to back out now if this sort of thing doesn't suit you.

1. I'm extremely fond of Clewis and Zikki pairings, and I'll never have it any other way. If you were hoping for different pairings involving any of those characters, they won't happen here. I've dabbled in different couplings for characters like Nate, but will never stray from Clewis and Zikki.

2. Not only do I stand by those pairings, but I have no interest (or ability) in writing a story without them becoming my two favourite couples. It'll happen slower in some stories, quicker in others, but it's going to happen. I'm incapable of writing them platonic relationships.

3. Things might get dark or creepy in my stories, but I still give my couples their happy endings.

If you can't live with these three motives of mine, this is most definitely not your cup of tea.

* * *

><p><strong>ix.<strong>

"We're not doing this, Zane."

"What are you talking about?" He blinked in mock surprise at Rikki's hand raised in a ceasefire gesture.

"You're purposefully reading like you're nearsighted so our faces get close."

He narrowed his eyes at the book of legends they had open between them on the park bench. "That's a bit farfetched," he said, but even as he denied it, he moved a bit closer to her. "What could I possibly gain from getting close to you like this?"

"I don't know," she cocked an eyebrow at him. "You might try to steal a kiss or something."

Zane chuckled and his smile widened. "To be honest, the thought hadn't entered my mind yet, but since you mention it..."

Rikki started away, nearly jumping off the bench as she did so. "I just said it wasn't going to happen!"

Zane was taken aback by her reaction. He was used to her quick retorts and somewhat flirtatious rejections. She'd never snapped at him for any of his teasing. And compared to some of the suggestions he'd made before, a kiss hardly ranked as too forward. "Are you mad at me?" he asked.

"No, sorry." She relaxed back into her normal sitting position and shrugged it off. "We're good. Let's keep reading. I want to see if we can solve the topless problem."

"Remind me again why that's a _problem._ I for one find the view quite enjoyable."

She gave him a none-too gentle shove before huffing.

And Zane was not oblivious to the red tinge to her cheeks that belied her annoyance.

"What?" he prodded one more time, "You don't find the transformation rather liberating?"

"That's... not how I'd describe it, no," she said with a slight eye roll.

She wasn't prepared for how intense his voice sounded when he turned serious and said her name. "Rikki, you know I love our back and forth banter. But if it's really upsetting you I'll make an effort to stop. Much as I don't want to," he added.

"It isn't that," she sighed. "Maybe it is. Look, I can't tell if you're sincere or not. It's great hanging out with you, but now and then I feel like you're just using me for kicks and giggles and it makes me uncomfortable."

"So you like harmlessly flirting with me, but you don't like that I'm not sincere? Or is it... that you're _more_ scared of me being serious?"

"I don't know," she admitted, feeling his question was probably best answered in the way she immediately resisted the idea of any conversations devoid of sarcasm.

"Well, I have the solution to that. One date, Rikki. Just give me one date and I'll show you I'm perfectly serious."

She expelled a short laugh. "You mean all this one-on-one larking around isn't dating?"

"Not when Lewis can pop in at any moment, and I haven't bought you anything to eat."

"You're making an awfully big deal over the sake of a meal."

"That's because I'm confident you'll be worth it," he countered with a rather winning smile. "I want to know you better than this project says we have to, but how can I if you don't give me something to work with? I know I come across as... cocky," Rikki snorted amiably at his honest assessment. "But I'm serious about liking you, even more than myself," he grinned. At that, Rikki laughed outright.

"Please go out with me," he finished. "At least once. I can be quite charming when I try, you know."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that," she smiled. "But we can't."

"Give me one good reason."

"How about the fact that you're swimming in money, and I'm just..." she scrunched up her face, finding it impossible to complete her thought verbally. "It wouldn't work, trust me. There are some things that can't be ignored because of nice feelings. We're from two totally different worlds."

"Not when we're in the water. And I said give me a _good_ reason."

"We can't live our entire lives underwater just to have a normal dating life."

"Hah! What's normal? Look at us, Rikki. We're merfolk. Fish people! Do you really think we'll get a normal dating life with _anyone_ while we're like this? I don't want to be _that_ guy, but you don't have a lot of other options. Who else can you trust with your secrets if not me? I mean, there's always Lewis..." he wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh and snort. "Sure, we're not the only guys on earth, but I think I know enough about you to get that you don't open up easily, and I doubt you have the ability to get close to someone you couldn't tell everything to."

Rikki was quiet, taken a little off guard by how well he did seem to know her.

"Unless you want to put your life on hold while we sort all this out, that's up to you. But I'm here, and I'm interested. _Seriously_ interested."

"Wow, Zane. You should become a shrink."

"I'm being serious!"

"I know, and I'm trying to process, okay? I... I like you a lot. But what happens if we mess all this up?"

"The science project? I'll buy Lewis a microscope to make it up to him."

"No, stupid. I mean..." her voice lowered to a near whisper when she said, "I mean us."

"I don't know, yet. But I'm more than willing to find out if you let me."

By the end of the day, she'd decided it couldn't hurt to let him have one date. She had nothing to lose. She and Zane already spent more time together than some students who'd been dating for months. It was true what he said about already knowing her darkest secret. Plus he had seen her topless, as he loved to remind her.

For his first and last chance to impress her, Zane took her to dinner. It was early in the evening and far enough away from their school mate's haunts to limit the likelihood of running into any of them. Rikki was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was. He didn't choose a place stuffy or overpriced, and she only hit him twice for being cheeky.

After dinner, Zane asked if she wanted to go home and tried very hard not to look smug when she suggested a number of things that would keep them out later.

He opted for seeing a movie, certain that if he kept her too concerned with making small talk she might grow uneasy. It was his turn to be surprised when after the movie Rikki asked for ice cream and a walk on the beach where she found herself admitting that she wasn't ready for him to walk her home.

"I'm not going to ravish you on our first date."

"If I thought that of you, you'd never get this far," she assured him. "My home life..." she started haltingly, "it's not the greatest. My dad does what he can to pay the bills, but I'm not ready to bring you into all that. And if I'm being honest, your own enviable life doesn't hurry that decision along."

"It's not as enviable as you think," he said, studying the bottom of his cone. "My parents don't get along unless they're away from each other. I never see my dad until I've disappointed him somehow, and then he won't get off my back. I don't have any real friends because most people stick with me on account of the perks. I've never had someone I could count on just to be there for me."

"My mum ran off and left us when I was four," Rikki shared in a hush. "I've learned not to bother counting on anyone."

Zane saw that she was finished eating her dessert and toyed with the idea of filling her now-empty hand with his own. "Maybe... we could start by counting on each other."

"What if I let you down?" She frowned so pathetically that he couldn't help but grab her hand in comfort. "What if you let _me_ down?" she added.

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," he murmured, and it sent a strange fluttering to her heart to hear him talk as if their worries were mutual. "But for now, will you take a leap of faith for me?"

She raised her eyes to ask for clarification, or possibly to make a joke and shake off the suddenly heavy atmosphere. Zane would never know which. He leaned in to capture her lips, and in that moment she was lost. They could have stood there for hours without time having meaning for either of them, except that they were brought to the present by a shaking of their legs, and suddenly both Zane and Rikki were tumbling over each other with their tails flopping in frustration.

"_Really_?" Zane cried angrily, "Kissing, too?"

Rikki only shrugged sheepishly. She was still a little dizzy from falling. Or maybe the kissing. Either way, she wasn't ready to call it quits. Some things were totally worth the tail coming out. Zane smiled at her nonchalance and positioning them into a less awkward position, he moved to kiss her again. But Rikki was no longer looking at him with a funny smirk. Her gaze had locked into place and he followed her line of sight to whatever captured her attention with such a mesmerising pull.

There was nothing too remarkable. The ocean was steady. The night sky was calm.

The moon was full.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Happy New Year's surprise update! :D I hope you're all heralding in 2015 with much cosiness, laughter, and plenty of good food. Those are some of my favourite things, besides H2O stories. Now I shall go hide from the reactions of this cliffhanger...

Reviewers now get a snippet preview of next time! :)

* * *

><p><strong>x.<strong>

It had been two hours since the time Zane and Rikki said they'd meet Lewis, and his mild concern had grown to worry. Fifteen, thirty, even up to forty-five minutes late he could understand. Meeting on Mako wasn't like walking to your neighbour's for a chat. But even Rikki was never up to an hour late, so unless they changed plans without warning him first, something was wrong.

He decided to take another trip around the island and quickly do his field work without them before heading back to find out what had happened.

They'd probably prefer it that way. They were never wholly dedicated to what Lewis had begun to consider _his_ project, but once they'd all grown tails there always seemed to be more important things to do than pretending to be interested in data and research.

Before he left, he wanted a closer look at the moon pool—that was what they were calling the mysterious body of water in which their transformation seemed to source. He kept a small sample of it in a sealed container on his bedside table, but it never behaved any differently than normal water.

Until last night when it began to bubble and glow much like the water in the moon pool. When he took it away from the light of the window it stilled and returned to normal. So, he gathered, it was the affects of a full moon that disturbed its natural state and had given it properties to transform human beings into merfolk. He wondered what this meant for other biological organisms but was unable to get a glimpse of the moon from his window by the time he'd realised in his sleepy state what had caused the funny glow.

Lewis would gather more samples from the moon pool today. Rocks, moss, sand, and any other elements he could get his hands on.

His excitement grew as he trudged nearer the incline that would lead to the pool. What if other creatures were susceptible to the change? What exactly happened to the water as it was morphing? Why did they not fully transform until the next morning? He was bursting with questions and couldn't wait to fill his sample dishes with anything that would help answer them.

What he found there wouldn't fit in his containers.

His two friends... associates... _chums_, were lying on the stretch of sand near the pool. They were wrapped in each others' arms fast asleep, without a shred of clothing on either of them. Lewis blinked in surprise, trying to collect his thoughts. They were in human form; not a scale was to be seen on either pair of legs. He quickly averted his eyes from the entanglement of limbs, telling himself it was for the sake of science that he'd been looking so intently at the shapely curvature of Rikki's bare thigh. She had a birthmark shaped almost like a clover right where her hipbone met her... well, the point was they definitely lost their clothes in human form. Anything they were wearing during a transformation came back intact once dry. _Clearly_, their... conjugation for lack of a nicer word had not begun as merfolk. Although there was no telling where it had continued.

The intimacy of their positions and the choice of location and timing were not the only things strange about the scene before him. Lewis had read about the desirable achievement that caused a couple to experience an afterglow, but the sand beneath the two lovers was _actually_ glowing. He wondered how they could be comfortable on sand so hot that the heat waves were visible, but then he noticed the little white flakes falling from directly above them. The snow was coming down fast enough to cover them with a blanket of ice, but it melted away the moment it made contact with their skin.

Lewis stood gaping for several long moments. He wished his mobile took better pictures, because he wanted to study this phenomenon in great detail. He took several shots in differing angles, and then grabbed a container with which to collect some of the falling snow before it was dissolved by Rikki's body heat. Just as he reached up to gather a few flakes, a soft moan came from below and Rikki shifted from out of Zane's embrace to sprawl out on her back like a starfish.

Lewis swallowed thickly and backed away with his eyes fixed on the rocky top of the volcano. He begged silently with all his might that they wouldn't wake up until he could make his escape.

As his luck would have it, he didn't make it but two feet back before Zane's startled cry echoed throughout the cave. Zane sat up to try assessing his surroundings just as Lewis's heel struck a rock and their eyes met.

Zane seemed to understand two things as he regained consciousness. The first was that he and Rikki were both naked in a cave, and the second was that Lewis stood over them with a Petri dish and a mobile phone.

"What the hell is going on?" he hissed under his breath, while simultaneously covering as much of Rikki's form from Lewis's eyes as he could by crouching over her. "Why are we here... like this? And more importantly, why are you taking pictures?!"

"To the first, I have no idea!" Lewis said in his defence, "To the second, it's not what you think!"

"Not what I think? You've got a phone open in your hand! Either you're taking pictures for your sick idea of research, or you're ordering a pizza. And I don't think anyone delivers out here!"

"No, I... Okay. I admit; I find the affects of last night's full moon on your current state to be quite..." he shook his head of the images, trying to focus on anything _other_ than Rikki's thigh, "but the point is... Zane! You stopped snowing!"

"What?!"

Lewis was too frazzled to explain, but Zane's rude awakening had made the snowfall cease, and now that there was no balancing the subconscious heat waves Rikki gave off, she was starting to wake up from the discomfort.

And when she did, it was to see a naked Zane nearly on top of her.

She didn't speak a word. Just stared, wide-eyed, mid-stretch as Zane blinked down at her, terrified of what was to come.

"Please don't hate me," he said under his breath. "I have no idea what's happened to us."

She swallowed thickly, looking ill. "Where are my clothes?" she asked with as much coolness as she could muster.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Where are _your_ clothes?"

"I... I honestly do not know the answer to that, either."

"Why are you on top of me?" she said this _almost_ with some of her old teasing tone, but the laugh she meant to follow the question came out as a weak scoff.

"Sorry, I was trying to cover... seeing as we were already..." he saw he was getting nowhere with his attempted explanations and so peered over his shoulder. "Lewis. Give us your shirt."

Under any other circumstances, he would have whinged over the decisiveness of Zane's command and his lack of asking with a 'please' but now, without question, Lewis unbuttoned his colourful shirt and tossed it behind him.

"And your pants," Zane directed. "I hope you wear something under those."

"What?!" The shirt he understood as payment for his misguided peeking, but his pants, as well? That was going too far.

"Do you want me to walk around in the buff, too?" Zane snapped.

"Oh. You want them for... oh." Once Lewis understood they were meant for Rikki and Zane to cover up with, he made no further protests. Without delay, both were reasonably covered.

And much to Lewis's unhappiness, comfortable enough to get angry.


	11. Chapter 11

**xi.**

The first order of business seemed to be piecing together what had happened between their walk on the beach and the predicament Lewis found them both in. Although with heightened emotions and volatile tempers the need to know was not put in such specific terms. Instead, Lewis was barraged with a flurry of questions; angry, demanding ones from Zane, and frantic, bewildered ones from Rikki. Lewis did his best to deflect until he could sort out the best way to unravel the mystery behind their gaps in memory, but unfortunately they took his wish to wait until they'd settled down as a refusal to help. At one point, Rikki began to cry which only intensified the incensed nature of Zane's questions.

"Look, I don't _know!" _Lewis finally shouted over the fray, "I'm really, really sorry, but I don't have the answers, yet! Everyone needs to calm down so we can do some backtracking and figure this out."

Zane was still seething, but managed to keep a steady voice as he said, "First thing's first. You need to apologise to Rikki."

"Wait," she sniffled, "I don't understand. Apologise for what?"

Lewis reluctantly handed her his phone.

Once she saw the images of her... _intimacy_ with Zane, Rikki tossed the phone aside in frightened disbelief. Zane reached out a hand intended to comfort, but she instinctively shied away from his touch, bewildered, and almost ill-looking_._ She swallowed thickly, and after a moment of stunned silence dove into the moon pool without another word.

"Rikki-!" Zane called after her in vain. But if Zane knew anything about what powers he possessed, it was that he was nowhere near as fast as Rikki when it came to swimming. If Rikki wanted to disappear she wouldn't be found until she was good and ready to come out of hiding.

Zane turned his wrath onto Lewis. "If I thought I had a chance of getting away with it, I would kill you."

"I don't doubt that for a minute," Lewis blanched. "But before you work out the details of your premeditated homicide, let me help you fix this."

"Help?" he said in a mocking tone. "How on earth do you expect to _help_?"

"I might know how to prevent this from happening again."

"If it involves shackling you to the bottom of the ocean without a breathing apparatus, I'm all for it."

"I can see you don't forgive easily. Okay. That's fine. Maybe you'd be better off without my help. Maybe I _won't_ offer my insight as to what got you here, naked in a volcano with no memories of the past twelve hours." Lewis could understand Zane's frustration, but he didn't appreciate his good intentions being discredited.

Zane exhaled sharply. "What's your theory?"

Lewis pointed up towards the patch of sky seen through the maw of the volcano. "The moon. A full moon, to be precise. It was a full moon on the night that we first came here, and last night was a full moon when you two... uh... you know."

"No, I don't know, which is why I'm angry. What did it _do_ to us?"

"I can't say for sure, exactly. But exposure to the full moon definitely has an effect on the water from the moon pool and apparently those of us who were transformed by it, too. It's likely you and Rikki were hypnotised by the moon and were taken over by more... uh, primal instincts rather than rational thought. But I'd have to observe someone like us under the same conditions to really understand."

"Yeah, 'someone like us.' It's not gonna be me, and I can guarantee Rikki won't be up to being used as an experiment for a good stretch. So good luck with finding a test subject."

Lewis was about to make a sharp retort but he thought better of it and bit his tongue. He wasn't able to console Zane with the discovery of his new powers, either. With Rikki gone, an essential factor in their dynamics was missing. Her lively sass both amused Zane and kept his attention solely on her, rather than berating Lewis or dwelling too intently on his disappointments.

He said his powers were stupid, and unless he was going to go into the ice cream business, completely useless. Lewis didn't even bother to try persuading him otherwise. They spent another awkward hour trying their powers against each other half-heartedly before they agreed there was no real point anymore and they went their separate ways.

-x-

Rikki sat in her private cove, listless and unhappy. She wasn't in pain. She wasn't even uncomfortable. In fact, she didn't feel the least bit different except for a slight crick in her neck that wasn't there before.

She hated it. If she was going to have her first with Zane Bennett, she sure as hell wanted to remember it. She didn't know how she could ever look him in the eye again. She dreaded the thought of going to school, of meeting him by chance at Mako, or worse, somewhere more public. Not that there was much likeliness of that happening. The benefit of them coming from such two distinct social circles was that they had very few places in common.

Except all the haunts they'd discovered on their date, Rikki realised with a longing sigh. Life was cruel. Just as she was learning to let someone in; learning to _like_ him, even... a catastrophe had to hit. She supposed she wasn't the girlfriend type after all. She could be chummy, but adding romance into the mix never turned out well. She was too scared. Too unprepared. Especially when she took leaps and bounds in a relationship that she couldn't bloody remember the next morning.

Without warning, she thought of Cleo and her romantic confusion, almost wishing they were friends so she could spill her guts to someone likeminded. Lewis wasn't exactly the worst listener in the world, but being of the male species he was dense as a rock. She'd never found herself longing for female companionship before, but she had a feeling Cleo would be the type to sympathise and listen to her problems without judgement. If she could ever get past her jealousy over Lewis, that is.

And that was the thing. As long as there were expectations between people that went beyond friendship, Rikki was screwed. She snorted at the thought.

Nope. So long as there were those troublesome things called _feelings_, there'd be heartache and trouble and Rikki wasn't willing to go through any of it just to try making a new friend.

She was resigned to being alone. She'd been alone pretty much all her life, anyway.

But why did it suddenly feel so _lonely_?

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Aw, pooor Rikki! She needs a friend! Of the non-male variety. I wonder where she could come by one of those?

Remember, reviews get teaser snippets now! :)


End file.
